After weeks of waiting, the 2023 NFL offseason is officially here. Organizations are being very active with the goal of taking their rosters to the next level. This is the case with the Buffalo Bills.
In the 2022 regular season, the Bills finished with a 13-3 record and clinched the AFC East. This marked the third year in a row that they won their division.
After being considered a Super Bowl frontrunner throughout 2022, Buffalo’s season came to an end in the AFC Divisional round. The Bills were not a match for the Cincinnati Bengals, losing 27-10 despite playing at home.
With hopes of finally winning the Super Bowl, this offseason is crucial to the franchise. The moves the front office makes in the next few weeks can make or break the Bills’ upcoming season.
Unfortunately, the team ended up losing Tremaine Edmunds in free agency. The linebacker signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Chicago Bears after spending the first five years of his career in Buffalo. Offensive linemen David Quessenberry, Bobby Hart and Rodger Saffold are still pending free agents and could be on their way out if the Bills take too long to negotiate new deals with them.
On the other hand, the team secured some important names who should be game-changing pieces in the 2023 season. With that being said, here is the Buffalo Bills' sneakiest signing in the 2023 NFL free agency.
Bills' sneakiest 2023 NFL free agency signing: S Jordan Poyer
One of the main reasons for Buffalo's success in the regular season was its defense. The team allowed just 17.9 points per game, the second-best mark in the league. Five of the team's 13 wins were by one score, so things could have gone very differently without a solid defensive unit.
The problem is that perhaps one of the main contributors to this success was a free agent. Jordan Poyer hit the market after the Bills failed to sign him to an extension during the season. He was then considered the top safety in the 2023 free agency class and one of the main defenders in the market.
In 2022, he recorded 63 tackles with 44 of them being solo, including four tackles for loss. Poyer also had eight pass breakups and one forced fumble. Most notably, he had four interceptions, leading the team in that category.
The Oregon State product earned his first Pro Bowl selection this past season, which followed his solid First-team All-Pro campaign in 2021.
Despite having many suitors and the possibility of leaving Buffalo, the team was able to bring Poyer back. He signed a two-year contract reportedly worth $12.5 million with $7 million guaranteed. For comparison, Vonn Bell signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. Based on yearly earnings, Poyer is making less than Bell, who was one of the other main safeties in free agency.
With the team in such a complicated financial situation, signing Poyer to such a friendly deal was a big move. It allowed the Bills to also bring guard Connor McGovern and wide receiver/return specialist Deonte Harty.
All things considered, re-signing Jordan Poyer was likely the best move by the Bills in the 2023 free agency. He was one of the top players in his position in the market, yet Buffalo managed to bring him back in a friendly deal. With the move, the Bills should remain a powerhouse on defense and continue as a contender for the Super Bowl this upcoming season.
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